1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to food products. In particular, it relates to coated, frozen foods and to a method for making the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Among the most popular prepared foods are precooked, frozen foods. Particularly well liked are foods such as pasta, potatoes, and vegetables that are individually quick frozen ("IQF"). Such simple, IQF foods provide the convenience of being free-flowing. Consumers appreciate the flexibility of choosing the quantity of frozen food to be cooked at a particular time. In contrast to such simple foods, when conventional processes are used to prepare precooked, frozen food products that include sauces or toppings, the resulting combination is generally in the form of a single, agglomerated mass that cannot be easily divided.
Consequently, there is a desire to extend the range of IQF foods to include free-flowing foods coated with sauces, toppings, and the like. For example, in addition to plain, IQF pasta without any sauce or an agglomerated chunk of pasta frozen with sauce, it would be desirable to have free-flowing IQF pasta already coated with the right amount of sauce. Similarly, in addition to plain IQF frozen vegetables, or a frozen clump of vegetables in a sauce, it would be desirable to have a free-flowing mixture of IQF vegetables already coated with the right amount of sauce. There are numerous problems to overcome when trying to coat IQF food with a sauce or topping to produce a free-flowing mixture. For example, to meet consumer expectations for a food that has the appearance and texture of a home-cooked food, a precooked, frozen food must have a sauce that clings to or forms a coating on the surface of the underlying food. It has, however, proved difficult to provide a coating that clings to IQF foods, but does not result in a single, frozen mass.
Thus, there remains a definite need for IQF products having sauces, toppings, and the like that can be reheated to produce foods having the appearance and texture of their home-cooked counterparts. There remains a further definite need for a simple and effective method for preparing such free-flowing IQF food products. The present invention satisfies these and other needs and provides further related advantages.